OK, so the essential Baseball-Reference has yet another incredibly cool new feature called “Spans,” which allows you to take a look at a player or team over a span of games.
I like the idea of trivia contests. The problem is, in the age of the internet, one can just look everything up and get the right answer, so it's not much of a contest.
Trivia, yes! Worst case is I learn something I can puzzle my son with. Except it's likely he will know it. He knew about Merkle's Boner when he was six. I really have no chance...
I was at the Sean Green 4 homer game and also at his 2 homer game (lived in Milwaukee at the time). True story — I was in a funky fantasy baseball league with a bunch of work colleagues that was home run-only and one of the guys cut Green the week before he went on that HR binge. As you can imagine we never let him forget it!
The image of Rickey above made me think of iconic baseball "poses". That's not quite the right word, but iconic player images isn't it either. What I'm thinking of isn't from a single moment in time, but a picture you get of a player that could be from any game. When you see it, though, you immediately know that it's that player. It's just HIM. It could be the way that player stood just so at the plate, or stood just so in the field while waiting the pitch to be thrown.
For many players, this could easily be a funky batting stance a la Julio Franco or Craig Counsell, but that's not quite iconic enough. It CAN be a batting stance, but the pose has to also conjure up the expectation that particular player is about to do something that only he can do in his way. I associate it primarily with great players.
Anyway, Rickey Henderson leading off first, knees bent and his fingertips dangling as he looks in to read the pitcher is one I've always loved. So often you'd see and just know that he was going, and there was nothing that the pitcher or catcher could do to stop him.
Craig Kimbrall’s vulture pose comes to mind as does Al Hrabosky’s mad Hungarian stare. And of course Babe Ruth’s HR trot on those little legs with that huge upper body.
I love this. Trivia would be great. I would like to see how Mike Trout's spans and Ohtani's span stack up against the greatest hitters and pitchers of past eras too. This is a great way to spotlight consistency - the hallmark of baseball excellence. Thanks for this!
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I like the idea of trivia contests. The problem is, in the age of the internet, one can just look everything up and get the right answer, so it's not much of a contest.
How about most great catches without a single gold glove?
Yes to trivia contests!
Absolutely yes to trivia, though I don’t expect to win at Joe’s trivia!
Trivia, yes! Worst case is I learn something I can puzzle my son with. Except it's likely he will know it. He knew about Merkle's Boner when he was six. I really have no chance...
I would be really bad at it, so yeah sure
I was at the Sean Green 4 homer game and also at his 2 homer game (lived in Milwaukee at the time). True story — I was in a funky fantasy baseball league with a bunch of work colleagues that was home run-only and one of the guys cut Green the week before he went on that HR binge. As you can imagine we never let him forget it!
Trivia ... yes! Ivan Rodriguez 1999 AL MVP ... no! [the Missus pats my arm ... “Timmy, it’s time to get over that.”]
Yea to trivia! I have a brain filled with useless s*** that needs an escape hatch!
The image of Rickey above made me think of iconic baseball "poses". That's not quite the right word, but iconic player images isn't it either. What I'm thinking of isn't from a single moment in time, but a picture you get of a player that could be from any game. When you see it, though, you immediately know that it's that player. It's just HIM. It could be the way that player stood just so at the plate, or stood just so in the field while waiting the pitch to be thrown.
For many players, this could easily be a funky batting stance a la Julio Franco or Craig Counsell, but that's not quite iconic enough. It CAN be a batting stance, but the pose has to also conjure up the expectation that particular player is about to do something that only he can do in his way. I associate it primarily with great players.
Anyway, Rickey Henderson leading off first, knees bent and his fingertips dangling as he looks in to read the pitcher is one I've always loved. So often you'd see and just know that he was going, and there was nothing that the pitcher or catcher could do to stop him.
Craig Kimbrall’s vulture pose comes to mind as does Al Hrabosky’s mad Hungarian stare. And of course Babe Ruth’s HR trot on those little legs with that huge upper body.
A trivia contest would be fun. Great columns, as always.
Yes to trivia!
I love this. Trivia would be great. I would like to see how Mike Trout's spans and Ohtani's span stack up against the greatest hitters and pitchers of past eras too. This is a great way to spotlight consistency - the hallmark of baseball excellence. Thanks for this!
Not a trivia fan, but you should know that your shout out to Howard Bryant has made Rickey the #1 New Release in soccer biographies...
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I like my trivia just the way it’s usually presented in JoeBlogs - with the answer following right after.